A Bamana couple sculpture from the region Bougouni, Mali, standing on a circular base, the couple has shortened legs ending up in prominent buttocks, wears a cloth encircling the hips, the male has accentuated genitals, both have a slender torso with a pointed abdomen, the female has large conical breasts, both have square shoulders, the openwork arms close to the body bent forward at the elbows, a long columnar neck supports a helmet-like narrow head with a small protruding mouth, a long perforated nose and round eyes, pierced downward-pointed c-shaped ears set low on the head, fine incised geometric scarification on the face and the torso, a striated single crested coiffure; brown encrusted patina with traces of age and ritual use, several cracks.

Lit.: Jean-Paul Colleyn: Bamana: The Art of Existence in Mali, Museum for African Art, New York 2001; Jean-Paul Colleyn: Bamana. Visions of Africa, Milan 2009; Sara C. Brett-Smith: The Making of Bamana Sculpture. Creativity and Gender, Cambridge University Press 1994.

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Height: 55/58 cm
Weight: 2.4/3.2 kg